Union for masts, poles, and the like



Oct. 29, 1946.

w. c. SCRIVENER ET AL FJNION FOR MASTS, POLES, AND THE LIKE Original Filed April v1'7, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l F/GZ.

Inventor b u/UIMI/l,

bet. 29, 1946. I w. c. SCRIVENER ETAL 2,410,245

UNION FOR MASTS,I POLES, AND THE LIKE Original Filed April 17, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I n enlors AZLUUU,

Alvin Patented Oct. 29, 1946 UNION FOR MASTS, POLES, AND THE LIKE William Charles Scrivener and Alfred George Brewer, Sutton Coldfield, England, assignors to Masts Limited, Birmingham, England, a British comp any Original application April 17, 1943, Serial No.

Divided and this application October 3', 1944, Serial No. 556,976. In Great Britain June 22,. 1942 '7 Claims.

1 The present applicationis a division of our copending application Serial No. 483,508, filed April 1'7, 1943, and entitled Masts, poles, and the like.

This invention is for a union for, connecting together the sections of a mast and the like and has for its object theprovision of a union which is capable of :being manufactured by mass production, is quickly assembled and enables a mast to be easily-erected by the-minimum number of personnel, and capable of' being broken down into a small number of parts which are easily transported, owing to the length of the longest section being short in comparison with the size of the mast that can be erected therefrom.

According to the present invention there is pro vided a union adapted to be connected to and constitute a connecting link between each successive pair of a series of rigid members, whereby the said members are held against unintentional displacement relatively to one another in a longitudinal-'directionand are united into a tubular non-telescopic unit which when arranged upright forms, in conjunction with guys or the like operatively connected to said members, a flexible mast, wherein at least a limited range of movement in any direction is permitted between adja cent members. a

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 illustrate in plan and elevation one construction of union capable of forming an articulated joint between adjacent sections of a mast; and

tion of the union illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

In the accompanying drawings onlythe union between one pair of adjacent members is shown as it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art how, where more than a pairof members is employed, the successive sections are connected together.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, there is illustrated a suitable union between one pair of adjacent tubular members of a light mast. The union comprises a flange 1 having radially directed open slots 8 (Figure 1) formed in the periphery thereof at predetermined distances around the circumference. Aflange l is provided upon the end of each member, for example by being formed upon a spigotr9 arranged to extend into a socket formed in thefend of a member. By such a construction each member is uniformly formed at each end thereof with a flange 1 provided with Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a modified construc- I 2 a series of radially directed slots 8. When it is desired to connect together two members 4 and 5, the ends are brought into close proximity with one another and there is introduced between the flanges of adjacent members 4 and 5 a plate Ill provided with lugs II on either side thereof which are arranged in planes perpendicular to the plane of the plate It). The lugs l l are spaced around the plate In and from the axis thereof at distances corresponding to the distances between the. slots 8 formed in the flanges l and the distances of the slots 8 from the axis of each member. The lugs II on the plate H] are shaped so that they are provided with portions I2 which overhang the plate and are directed towards the axis of the plate. The plate I0 is so constructed that when placed between the flanges l on the ends of two adjacent members 4 and 5 the flanges 1 upon the respective members may be disposed so: that the slots 8 correspond with the lugs II onthe plate [0 whereby an axial movement of the two members 4 and 5 towards one another brings the flanges l of the members 4 and 5 into contact with opposite sides of the plate It] in the manner indicated in Figure 2, whereupon the members 4 and 5 may be given a part turn about their axes so as to bring the unslotted portion of the flanges beneath the overhanging portion l2 of the lugs ll, thereby locking each member. tothe plate Ill and to one another, thus preventing thetwo members .4 and 5 from being unin tentionally separated from one another in a longitudinal direction. The axial movement of the two members towards theplate with a subsequent part turn of the members about their axes constitutes a bayonet action. There is provided upon the plate I!) a hole arranged to receive a split pin l3'which is preferably attached to the plate 10 by means of a chain l4... The pin l3 can be inserted into the hole in the plate It] so as to extendthroug-h two adjacent slots 8 formed in the pair of flanges l of the two members 4 and 5 and in such a position prevent the members 4 and 5 from rotating relatively to the plate l0 sufliciently to bring the slots 8 of the flanges 1 adjacent to the lugs II on the plate In and thus allow the members 4 and 5 to become unintentionally disconnected.

It will be appreciated that the plates l0 which are arranged to extend between the adjacent 1 members are uniform in character and therefore interchangeable as also is the case with the flanged spigots 9 which extend into the ends of 4 the members.

If a series of members is connected together .vent the members from being arranged one above the other in an upright direction with all the.

members coaxial with one another, withoutsome form of lateral support.

The construction hereinbefore referred to with reference to Figures 1 and 2 provides a union adapted to be connected toand constitute a link between a pair 4 and 5 of adjacent rigid members of an articulated unit which when arranged.

upright forms, in conjunction with guys. 16 operatively connected through hooks l5 and eyes M to the members 4 and 5, a flexible mast which comprises means in the form of flanges 'i and a plate I having lugs I l disposed between adjacent members 4 and 5, which permits of a limited range of movement in all directions between adjacent members. i

The hooks l are arranged upon the underside of each plate and preferably form an extension of each of the lower lugs of the plate. The guy ropes I6 are securable to said hooks in such a position as to hold the ends of twoadjacent members in a predetermined position. Thus it will be seen that by providing guys 16 at the joint where adjacent members are connected together, it is possible to arrange successive members so as to extend vertically from the ground with the axes of the members in alignment with one another and yet permit a limited range of movement in all directions between the said members.

An alternative construction of union adapted to be connected to and constitute the connecting link between adjacent members is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. This construction consists in forming closed slots 44 in the plate 45 (Figure 3) which are arranged to receive lugs 46 permanently attached to the end of the guy ropes 41 so that when the lugs 46 are arranged to extend through the closed slots 44 in 'the'plate 45 and through the open slots 48 in the flanged spigots 49 and I the members to which the spigots are connected are given a part turn about the longitudinal'axes thereof, the lugs 46 are locked to the union and serve to connect the ends of adjacentmembers 4 and 5 together. The plate 45 is prevented from moving and allowing its slots to come into line with the open slot 48 in the flanged member 49 by a split pin '50 (Figure 4) What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: l. A union for efiecting connection between the abutting ends of alined sections of sectional masts, poles and the'like, comprising like radially-extending flanges on at least one end of each section having spaced, radially-extending peripheral slots therein with unslotted portions between said slots; a plate positioned between said flanges when said sections are arranged in axial alinement with their flanged ends in close proximity; andjugsassociated with'sa id plate and extending on opposite sides thereof, each lug having on its inner face a notch extending above and below said plate and defining opposed, overhanging shoulders spaced adistance equal to at least the combined thicknesses of said flanges and said intermediate plate, the spacing of said lugs with respect to said plate corresponding to the spacing of the slots in said flanges, whereby the sections may be placed in axial alinement with the plate between the flanges and with the lugs disposed within the slots therein and may be rotated about their axes to a limited extent with respectto'said plate and lugs to cause the opposed. shoulders of said lugs to overhang the unslotted portions of said flanges to thus secure said sections together in substantial axial alinement.

2. A union as defined in claim 1 wherein the length of the notch on theinner face of each lug isgreaterthan'the combined thicknesses of the flanges and the intermediate plate, whereby the overhanging shoulders of said lugs permit limited movement of said'sections with respect to each other.

3. A union as defined in claim 1 wherein the lugs are fixed on the plate.

4. A union as defined in claim '1 wherein the plate is provided with radial slots spaced to correspond with the spacing of the slots in the flanges, and the lugs are separate and are passed through the slots in the said flanges and said plate when said sections are alined.

5. A union as defined in claim 1 wherein means is provided for preventing rotation of said sections with respect to said plate and lugs when the shoulders of the lugs overhang the unslotted portions of the flanges. p

6. A union as defined in claim 1 wherein the plate has a hole extending therethrough in alinement With'alined slots in the flanges of the'sections when the shoulders'of the lugs overhang the unslotted portions of the flanges, and wherein a pin is inserted through said alined slots and hole to prevent relative rotation between said flanges and intermediate plate.

7. A union as defined in claim 1 wherein the plate has a hole extending therethrough in aline ment with alined slots in the flanges of the sections when the shoulders of the lugs overhang the unslotted portions of said flanges and wherein a pin is inserted through said alined slots and'hole, the diameterof said pin being less than the walls defining said slots'whereb limited relative rotation is permitted between said flanges and intermediate plate.

WILLIAM CHARLES SCRIVENER. ALFRED GEORGE BREWER 

